For a fun time, create your own magical indoor blizzard!! ((Snowflakes cut from coffee filters.)) We had lots of FUN playing in the mountains of snow (pillows with a white comforter on top), and it was a great way for Clara to burn off some extra energy! Let it snow, let it snow, let it […]
Spontaneous Montessori
November 16, 2010 by
While I was doing some work in the sewing room, Clara started playing with a pile of buttons. I added two empty yogurt containers and a pair of tweezers, and she had some impromptu Montessori-inspired fun!! This was a super-simple activity of just transferring the buttons one at a time, from one container to the […]
10 Frugal Ways to Fight Boredom
November 14, 2010 by
Being bored doesn’t have to be an excuse to go out shopping and spend a ton of money. Here are some fun ways to fight boredom that don’t cost a cent! Jump up and down on the bed!! Visit a local park! Take time to smell the flowers. Get all dressed up — just because! […]
Weekend Rewind — Gratitude Activity Jar
November 6, 2010 by
This was one of my all-time favorite posts — a fun ACTIVE way in introduce kids to the concept of gratitude. It’s perfect for this time of year, and we enjoyed this activity so much last year that we are doing it again this year. Enjoy!! Around Thanksgiving we try to do crafts and activities […]
Ode to Mega Bloks
November 3, 2010 by
There are so many things to love about Mega Bloks — they appeal to kids of all ages, they’re perfect for quiet time, they don’t require batteries, and if you step on them in bare feet they don’t hurt nearly as much as the teeny tiny Legos. But in our humble opinion, the very best […]
10 (Frugal) Autumn Things That Make Me Happy
October 21, 2010 by
So much of the frugal lifestyle is made up of finding ways to celebrate the little things in life. Here are some of my favorites! Taking the girls to an organic orchard to pick apples. Trips to the playground with a girl whose feet never seem to hit the ground. Library visits on rainy days. […]
Indoor Leaf Pile!
October 15, 2010 by
Tired of rainy days?? For a good time, cut out leaves from several sheets of colored tissue paper — you can cut through several sheets at one time, so it goes quickly. Play in your indoor leaf pile!!!!! These leaves are great fun to toss around! It’s fun for grown-ups, and kids alike! Rake them […]
Let’s Go Fly a Kite
October 14, 2010 by
We have had such great luck with these super-simple frugal paper kites! This time, we decorated a few for Halloween…. …went to a local park, and flew them!! It was so much fun! Even Clara could get her kite off the ground easily — and that’s saying a lot for a 2 year old! Complete […]
Autumn Activities Galore!
October 9, 2010 by
Here are some of the most popular Autumn crafts and activities we’ve done here on FFFB — enjoy!! These Fall Leaf Coasters are easy to make and quite functional as well! Make up a set of fun bat finger puppets using craft foam and googly eyes! This beautiful autumn leaf garland is my favorite way […]
Introducing… Awesome Remote!
September 28, 2010 by
Need a little more awesomeness in your life? Introducing…. Awesome Remote! The must-have gadget that makes everything just a little more awesome!!! Awesome Remote comes with these great features to make everything AWESOME!!! Instant Gift Bacon!!!! Sunshine Money Balloons Mail Flowers and….. Bubbles!!! Awesome Remote makes even the most un-cool situations instantly more awesome. Don’t […]
FREE Museum Day
September 25, 2010 by
In honor of FREE Museum Day, an event sponsored by Smithsonian Media with over 1300 museums from across the country participating, we took a trip to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. It was awesome, educational, and frugal!! I printed out a pass for Mark and I to have free tickets, Clara is under […]
Surf’s Up, Dude!
September 23, 2010 by
Tired of sitting around bored at home? Do you miss Summer already? Wish the beach wasn’t so far away?? Why not turn your sofa into an ocean, and take turns diving on it — it’s so much FUN!! We covered our sectional sofa in blue sheets, added some cushions from the living room, and some […]
Organic (Frugal) Goodness
September 11, 2010 by
We just returned from a super-fun (and frugal) trip to an organic apple festival at the Rodale Institute — an event that is quickly becoming my favorite birthday tradition!! Some of the apples required a bit of team-effort…… …but it was well-worth it…….. ….to end up with a half-bushel of organic apples like this one! […]
Bang on the Drums All Day
September 10, 2010 by
I can’t even tell you how much FUN Clara had with our make-shift drum table this morning! I laid out a bunch of old pots and pans, lids, and some wooden spoons on her play table. Then it was time to Rock N Roll!!! She experimented using the spoons as drumsticks, and later hitting the […]
Sunday Snapshot — At the Zoo (with Daddy)
September 5, 2010 by
We are still getting lots of use from our annual passes to the zoo, plus we were blessed with gorgeous weather!! We made lots of new friends this morning….. The girls had so much FUN romping around the zoo with Daddy! Mark met a new (feathered) friend………. …..and so did Clara! Emily made friends with […]
Easy Space Walk
August 19, 2010 by
This afternoon I made up some simple stencils for Emily to make up her own outer space scene in our driveway using sidewalk chalk — we had so much fun!! We traced some plates for planets…. … and colored everything in, and then it was time to……… ……launch into OUTER SPACE!!!! Weeeeeeeeeee!!!! Look out for […]
Pretend Car Wash
August 18, 2010 by
Inspired by Emily’s recent request for a car wash toy, both of the girls were kept busy for a long time with this pretend car wash activity, and they had a lot of fun! To make up the cars, I pressed down on a sheet of inexpensive craft foam with car and truck shaped cookie […]
DIY Slip-and-Slide
August 17, 2010 by
We faced a hot, sunny afternoon today. Armed with a 50′ x 3′ heavy duty contractor drop cloth, a package of U-shaped garden stakes, and several jugs of water, we made our way to a nearby park where there was a big hill and…. …..and made our own Slip N Slide!! Emily thought this was […]
